English Language Discussion Forums


Go Back   UsingEnglish.com ESL Forum > Learning English > Ask a Teacher

Quick Links
Sites for Teachers



Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 18-Oct-2005, 02:27
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 91
First Language: english
notmyname216 is on a distinguished road
Default Auxiliary verbs

Given this sentence:

How simple it would have been had I been there.

Is the following true:

1) "would" is a auxiliary verb.
2) "have" is a auxiliary verb
3) "been" is a auxiliary verb.
4) "had" is a auxiliary verb?
5) "I" is a pronoun.
6) "been" is a verb?

Thank you.
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2  
Old 18-Oct-2005, 10:59
Casiopea's Avatar
VIP Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Country: Canada
Posts: 12,989
Current Location: China
First Language: English
Member Type: Other
Casiopea will become famous soon enough
Default Re: Auxiliary verbs

EX: How simple it would have been had I been there.

The following are true:

1) "would" is a modal auxiliary verb.
2) "have" is an auxiliary verb.
3) "been" is an auxiliary verb.
4) "had" is an auxiliary verb.
5) "I" is a subject pronoun.
6) "been" functions as the main verb.

Here's the same sentence but re-ordered:

EX: Had I been there, it would have been how simple.

Note that, "had I" is another way of saying "If I had":

EX: If I had been there . . . . => Had I been there . . . .

Note also, "been . . . simple" is a copular structure; i.e., be simple, is simple, was simple, been simple.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 18-Oct-2005, 16:25
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 91
First Language: english
notmyname216 is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Auxiliary verbs

I read that up to 5 auxiliary verbs can be in a row in a sentence but have not been able to find an example of one. Do you have one?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 19-Oct-2005, 11:54
Casiopea's Avatar
VIP Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Country: Canada
Posts: 12,989
Current Location: China
First Language: English
Member Type: Other
Casiopea will become famous soon enough
Default Re: Auxiliary verbs

Got me on that one.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Tags
auxiliary, verbs

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Modal verbs and Modal auxiliary verbs zoobinshid Ask a Teacher 2 26-Sep-2005 07:59
Auxiliary Verbs RonBee General Language Discussions 12 18-Jun-2004 18:49


All times are GMT. The time now is 02:58.


vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.3.0
Copyright © 2002 - 2009 UsingEnglish.com